Extension
It Starts With Us
Manage Healthy Weight Throughout the Lifecycle Through Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Angie York
Weight the Reality Series
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Youth Fruit & Vegetable Access
The obesity epidemic threatens the quality and years of life of Kentuckians. Specifically, according to the CDC’s County Diabetes Atlas, 1/3 of adults over 18 in Lyon County are obese. Obese individuals are at increased risk for many chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancers. The obesity rate in Kentucky increased 90 percent over the last 15 years. Thirty percent of individuals in the Commonwealth report no leisure-time physical activity. Increased consumption of unhealthy food, stress, and built environments that promote physical inactivity are largely responsible for the obesity epidemic. As a result, Kentuckians are dying from heart disease and cancer at higher rates than all Americans and they have a lower life expectancy, 75.5 years, compared to 78 years for Americans. Minorities and individuals residing in Appalachia bear a heavier brunt of the obesity and chronic disease burden. The goal of the Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices Initiative is to reverse these trends by working with various organizations, agencies, and groups to promote the health and wellness in all Kentuckians.
-A decrease in the number of obese and overweight children, youth, adults and elderly.
-Increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily.
-Improvement in the built environment to promote physical activity and healthy eating.
-Improvement in the mental health and well being of Kentuckians.
-Manage and prevent the risk, debilitation, and premature death related to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and hypertension.
-Increase the estimated health savings in dollars for chronic disease.
-Increase policies that address obesity, physical inactivity and promotion of poor nutrition.
-Practice healthy food choices and strengthen individuals’ ability to build healthy eating plans and patterns.
-Maintain appropriate calorie balance during each stage of life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy and breastfeeding and older age
-Practice of physical activity in families and communities and decreased time spent on sedentary behaviors
-Community members advocate for policy.
-Changes related to obesity, physical activity and healthy eating.
-Strengthen community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.
-Practice healthy lifestyle decision-making that strengthen individuals’ ability to cope with normal life stress.
Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices regarding:
-Healthy lifestyle choices.
-Childhood and youth obesity.
-Adult weight management.
-Healthy aging.
-Practice and promotion of daily physical activity.
-Policies that that reduce the level of obesity.
-Reduction of chronic disease.
Initial Outcome: Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices.
Indicator: Increased knowledge about weight loss and healthy lifestyles.
Method: Evaluation to be given at the end of series.
Timeline: Spring 2019
Intermediate Outcome: Changes in participants habits related to obesity, physical activity and healthy eating.
Indicator: Weight loss and changes in amount of exercise and food intake by participant.
Method: Follow-up Evaluation to be mailed 3-6 months after last session.
Timeline: Spring 2019
Long-term Outcome: A decrease in the number of obese and overweight children, youth, adults and elderly in Lyon County.
Indicator: Rates of obesity reported by CDC will decline.
Method: Reports offered through the CDC’s County Diabetes Atlas.
Timeline: Spring 2019-Spring 2020
Audience: Families and individuals of all ages.
Project or Activity: Weight Loss Wars
Content or Curriculum: Weight the Reality Series
Inputs:
-Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers
-Kentucky CES publications and resources
-eXtension resources
Date: Spring 2019
Audience: Preschool Children
Project or Activity: Literacy, Eating and Activity for Preschool/
Primary (LEAP)
Content or Curriculum: Literacy, Eating and Activity for Preschool/
Primary (LEAP)
Inputs:
-Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers
-Kentucky CES publications and resources
-eXtension resources
Date: 2018-2019 school year
Audience: Families and individuals of all ages.
Project or Activity: Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Inputs:
-Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers
-Kentucky CES publications and resources
-eXtension resources
Date: Summer 2019
Author: Angie York
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
According to the World Health Organization, senior adults are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. Many of the diseases suffered by older persons are the result of dietary factors, some of which have been operating since infancy. These factors are then compounded by changes that naturally occur with the ageing process. In an effort to help senior adults learn more about the positive effects of good nutrition on the body, monthly nutrition lessons are conducted at the Lyon County
